Instructions

ZOOM IN by clicking on the page. A slider will appear, allowing you to adjust your zoom level. Return to the original size by clicking on the page again.

MOVE the page around when zoomed in by dragging it.

ADJUST the zoom using the slider on the top right.

ZOOM OUT by clicking on the zoomed-in page.

SEARCH by entering text in the search field and click on "In This Issue" or "All Issues" to search the current issue or the archive of back issues
respectively.

PRINT by clicking on thumbnails to select pages, and then press the
print button.

SHARE this publication and page.

ROTATE PAGE allows you to turn pages 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise.Click on the page to return to the original orientation. To zoom in on a rotated page, return the page to its original orientation, zoom in, and
then rotate it again.

CONTENTS displays a table of sections with thumbnails and descriptions.

ALL PAGES displays thumbnails of every page in the issue. Click on
a page to jump.

THE AUSTRALIAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT YEARBOOK EDITION 23 • 107
LIGHTING
Stakeholders are encouraged to consider the following
aspects in planning to lower streetlighting costs, and potentially
develop new revenue streams.
Regional organisations of councils
Regional organisations of councils are encouraged to work
together on streetlighting initiatives to:
• research and advocate their positions to utilities, and to state
and federal governments
• develop financial and technical resources to identify the
costs and benefits associated with replacing existing
streetlighting assets with energy-efficient alternatives
• work to resolve the safety, legal and technical barriers being
raised by utilities
• manage regional tendering and purchase agreements to
achieve economies of scale
• manage regional projects funded by other levels of
government (for example, the Australian Government
Emissions Reduction Fund).
Despite the current market failure noted above, there
are examples of progress in Australia:
The Municipal Association of Victoria has provided valuable
assistance to councils in rolling out efficient streetlighting
and facilitating negotiations with utilities. As a result, Victorian
councils will replace more than 180,000 inefficient mercury
vapour lights.
The City of Sydney's LED program has been recognised for
leadership and innovation. Streetlighting energy use has been
reduced by more than 46 per cent since March 2012 through
the City's rollout of more than 5700 energy-efficient LED street
and park lights. More than 90 per cent of people surveyed by
the City said they found the new lights appealing, and three-
quarters said the LEDs improved visibility.3
Energex and Ergon Energy charge customers the
incremental cost difference between a standard and non-
standard asset, with the remainder recovered through standard
ongoing charges. This method is reducing the up-front financial
burden for councils.
The world's leading LED rollout project is one undertaken
by the City of Los Angeles, which replaced 140,000 road lights
with LEDs between 2009 and 2013. Los Angeles has achieved
3 www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/vision/towards-2030/sustainability/carbon-reduction/
led-lighting-project
energy savings of 63 per cent, and US$10.5 million in savings per
year from a US$57 million capital investment. Street crime has
reduced by 10.5 per cent, and the luminaire failure rate is just
0.2 per cent per year. Los Angeles is now considering
implementing adaptive luminaires to achieve increased energy
savings and remote monitoring.
Improved safety outcomes
Research by Clanton and Gibbons4 indicates that broad-
spectrum white light sources, such as specific LED products,
provide better visual performance (obstacle detection)
than existing high-pressure sodium luminaires at the same
illuminance levels. As such, LED streetlighting upgrades are likely
to improve driver and pedestrian safety.
Be aware of new risks
Project specifiers should be aware of the existence of some
poor-quality LED streetlights, exaggerated product-performance
claims, and misinformation in the Australian market. Some of the
shady practices and claims include:
• a wide variation in efficacy and colour performance caused
by the use of low-grade LED components
• poorly designed LED luminaires running at high
temperatures and failing to achieve claimed light output and
product lifetimes
• light output figures based on quick ambient temperature
measurements rather than legitimate operating temperature
testing -- the result is lower LED luminaire light output than
that claimed
• exaggerated light output figures, resulting in lower-than-
anticipated light levels
• photometric test report information generated by a
luminaire design program rather than product testing (the
performance of a luminaire can vary significantly from
optimistic assumptions based on theoretical projections).
In addition, it should be noted that:
• product guarantees of seven or 10 years are meaningless
unless the company is still in business when problems arise
• a rated lifetime claim is worthless unless it includes useful
light output
• glare is often a feature of poor-quality product.
4 Clanton and Gibbons presentation to the Municipal Solid State Street Lighting
Symposium (March 6, 2012, Seattle Washington)